Machine for planking felt hats.



' No. 761-;716.. PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

` T. ROBINSON. MAGHINE PORPLANNING FELT HATS.` f

AIPLIOATIO'I FILED SEPT. 12. 1902.

y; No 101m..

UNITED YSTATES Patented June 7, 1904. i;

PATENT vOFFICE., f

NIACHINE FOR PLANKING FELT HATS. A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. r761,716, dated June '7, 1904.

Application iilecl September 12, 1902. Serial No. 123,159. (No model.)

To L7/Z whom it. muy concern:

Be it known that 1, THOMAS ROBINSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Gee Cross, Hyde, England, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Machines for Flanking Felt Hats, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention has for its Object to provide a form of machine in which felt hats may be readily, eifectively, and uniformly planked in lien of being planked by hand.

A further object is to enable the. hats to be planked without unduly distressing them and as far as possible simulate handV treatment.

According to the invention the hats are planked between two frictional or planking surfaces whereof one is capableY of moving to and fro in, by preference, the arc of a circle and the other is capable of moving up and down or vertically and against or away from the other surface with the hatbetween and the two surfaces normally held incontact with the hat by an arrangement of weights 'which causes the vertically-moving surface to move up and against the hat with a yielding force suited (by varying the weight) to the right amount of pressure required for planking.

Upon the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a front view, and Fig. 2 a side View, of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 3 illustrates an inverted plan of an important part of the machine. Fig. 4 illustrates a section of the planking-surfaces in diagram, and Fig. 5 a like section of a modiiication. i

The machine-frame is of any suitable design, but is'by preference composed of four wooden posts A, braced together by crosspieces B. Across the top of such frame and supported in bearings D is a shaft E, and keyed upon such shaft is a pair of swingbosses F, one at each side of the machine. From such bosses, by means of four rods Gr, is suspended one of the said planking-surfaces, (hereinafter referred to as the top planking member,) composed of a curved wooden back H, lags of wood I, and a number of strips or lags of india-rubber J of iiuted or roughened outline, as shown. These strips of rubber (see Fig. 3) run lengthwise of the back H and have spaces L between them,while the lags I lie transversely across the said back and have spaces K between them. To the shaft Eis also fitted a lover M, to which is connected the rod N of an eccentric NX, by

which when in motion the saidtop planking.

member is given a reciprocating motion of about twelve-inch stroke, such stroke, however, being Variable by moving the connecting-bolt of rod N along the lever-slot. The eccentric N X is mounted, by preference, on a shaft carried by the machine-frame, and such shaft is mounted in bearings DX. Below the said top planking member is arranged the further planking-snrface, (hereinafter referred to as the lower planking member,) formed in two halves, as shown, and each half hinged to the other by a pin U andhinge-plates P at each side. Such lower planking member, the half portions of which are constructed in precisely the same manner as the' top member, is Sustained by weights Q QX and ropes or chains R passing over pulleys S and secured to studs T and the pins O by links U. The studs and pins work in guides V VX, and the measure of the weights is such that they hold the lower member at the top of the guides or in almost touching contact with the top member with a yielding force and in such manner that the outer ends are capable of being moved down, as indicated in Fig. 4, to f admit the hats to be felted.

Fig. 5 shows how the lower planking member may be in one andbe capable of being lowered from either end; but I prefer the divided construction, as it allows of the hats being molre readily fed and withdrawn from both en s.

By varying the weights the pressure upon the hat between the planking-surfaces is varied, and thus a great nicety of action is Obtainable. To guide the rods which carry the weights, steadying-arms W may be provided. A tray Y for catching lubricant from the driving-gear may also be provided, also a tank Z (shown dotted) for catching the liquor removed from the hats.

The rubber lags may be variously held in position, but, for example, are shown held by brass or copper clamping plates and screws XX.

IOO

rI`hey may also be luted or roughened in various ways, the main requirement being that they shall present a frietional or rubbing (or felting) surface. When luted, as shown in the drawings, the flutes of one lag alternate, by preference, with the utes of the next adjoining lags. The llutes or' the lags may, however, be parallel, andthe lags maybe arranged transversely or diagonally instead of longitudinally.

What I claim isl. In a felt-hat-planking machine, the combination of a frame composed of uprights and cross-pieces, a shaft carried upon the top of said frame, a set of rods suspended from said shaft, a curved planling member carried by the rods, and composed of a backing of wood with strips of luted india-rubber on its lower face, means upon the top ol' the frame for swinging the rods and planlring member to and fro, a further planliing member also composed ot' a backing of wood and strips of indiarubber on its upper face, studs on the sides of the said lower planking member, chains secured to said studs, pulleys over which the said chains pass and weights attached to the other ends of the chains, and guide-brackets with curved slots for guiding the studs on the lower planking member, and permitting o1 thi` said member being lowered at either end, as set forth.

2. In a felt-hat-planking machine, two plank ing members, upper and lower, and the lower one comprising two parts, said parts being hinged together at their abutting inner edges, means for sustaining and moving to and iro the upper planliing member in the are of a circle, and means for yieldingly supporting the other member, and guiding it up and down, as set forth.

3. In a 'felt-hat-planling machine, a lrame, an arc-shaped swinging upper planking member with means lor operating it, a lower planle ing member, guides carried by the lrame, projections from .said lower member passingw through said guides, chains secured to said projections and passing over pulleys on the frame, and weights on said pulleys, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence ol two witnesses.

Y THOMAS ROBINSON. Witnesses:

IALTER GUNN, WILLIAM lCAs'rwoo'n. 

